MILLIGAN, Tenn. — Milligan University's softball program played their final home Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) doubleheader on Thursday afternoon on Anglin Field. They hosted the Bluefield University (Va.) Rams with a chance to earn their first AAC sweep since March 13 against Bryan. After an eight-inning win in the first contest, 1-0, the Buffaloes found their bats to the tune of a 11-3 win in six frames to complete the sweep.

Game one was a pitchers' duel throughout, as neither side could do much of anything on offense through the entirety of regulation play. Milligan held a 3-2 lead in hits over the Rams through seven innings, with all five hits coming in separate frames. 

The eighth inning proved to make the difference, as three hits and a sacrifice fly in the frame to end the contest gave the Buffs a 1-0 victory behind a masterful eight-inning performance in the circle by Katelin Secrist. Alana Parsons scored Lily Frazier from third on a shallow fly to right field, on which Frazier evaded the tag at the plate to seal the triumph.

Game two was a completely different story for Milligan. They doubled their game one output in the very first inning. Haley Vigil doubled to lead things off and was plated by Parsons on a triple to right-center field. That made it 1-0 before Jaylyn Halliburton smacked a single up the middle to score Parsons and make it a 2-0 MU lead.

In the top of the third, Bluefield benefited from a poor defensive inning by the Buffaloes that included three errors and a trio of unearned tallies to give the visitors the lead, 3-2.

A seven-run response from Milligan in the bottom of the third put them back firmly in the driver's seat. Mia Grasse ripped a run-scoring single off the shortstop's glove into left-center field to score the pinch-running Campbell Owen from second. After tying the score, a Mollie Johnson single through the left side of the infield played Jordan Roulettwheeler, making it 4-3. A RBI bunt single by Frazier then scored Grasse, and a Kaylee Oler single drove in Johnson to make it 6-3. A Parsons two-run single to score Frazier and Oler put the Buffs up 8-3, before Halliburton chased Parsons home with a base hit and extended the edge to 9-3.

Milligan could not quite end the game in the fifth as they scored just once on a Grasse single to plate Parsons. It was 10-3 entering the sixth.

After holding Bluefield to nothing again, the Buffs picked up a RBI single from Halliburton in the bottom of the sixth to end the game, 11-3. It was her third RBI hit of the contest.

It was a tale of two tilts for the MU offense, who had just six hits in game one and scored only one time. In the latter bout, 19 hits were tallied and 11 runs crossed the dish. Halliburton (5-for-8, 3 RBI) and Vigil (5-for-7, 2 BB, 2 R) led the way with five hits apiece on the day. Parsons went 4-for-8 with a triple, four RBI and a trio of runs scored. Grasse went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored with all three hits coming in game two. Frazier notched a 3-for-7 day and drove in a run while scoring the lone run of game one. Oler and Johnson had two hits apiece, and Roulettwheeler added the remaining knock.

Continuing to mow down opponents, Secrist hurled an eight-inning shutout and allowed just two hits and one walk. She struck out a career-high 10 hitters in the triumph to move to 11-6 for the campaign within the circle. She now sports a 2.78 ERA this season.

Bree Presnell had her best start of the 2026 season on Thursday, allowing only three unearned runs and none earned across a six-inning complete game. She only gave up a pair of hits, like Secrist, and punched out three batters to move to 5-1 for the year.

The Buffaloes (19-15, 14-8 AAC) will now look ahead to a formidable challenge, as they head down to Cleveland, Ga. this Tuesday, April 14 to face the Truett McConnell University Bears twice. The Bears currently sit just one spot behind the Buffs in the league standings with just a few weeks remaining until the start of the conference tourney.